Cancer sufferer from Billingshurst completes run for charity

Dani Grammer-Taylor,20, completed the Race for Life, in Hyde Park, last weekend along with her best friend Kamara Anderson in aid of Cancer Research, despite only being diagnosed with the disease a few months ago.

She said: “The race was really good. Everyone was in good spirits doing it.”

When Dani, a former student of Collyer’s College in Horsham who now works at Gatwick, first signed up for the race she had not been diagnosed with the disease and was originally doing it to raise money for charity.

However a couple of months before she found out she had cancer and the race took on a whole new meaning for her as she wanted to prove that nothing could hold her back.

“I was told if I did the race I might get more ill,” she said.

“It was meant to be my bad weekend but I got through it fine. In the end it was amazing and I would definitely do it again next year.”

Dani was surprised by how many people were doing the race with a mixture of families, young people and older people all getting involved.

It was one group in particular that made her day.

She said: “My friends and family were all down to support me but I had a surprise when all my work colleagues turned up. I didn’t know they were coming. It was amazing. It made the race even better.”

Dani had decided to walk the race like many others but this plan went out the window when she got to the final stretch of the event.

“We saw the 500 metre sign and decided to run for it,” she said. It was really good and I was very tired at the end.”

She has had a lot of support from her family and friends throughout her challenge.

Her brother George Grammer-Taylor said: “I think she’s incredible for showing how nothing will stop her from achieving her own aspirations and goals.

“Watching her run down the final straight was an unforgettable and surreal moment for me. I’ve learnt from the Race for Life, the importance of having the mindset that you ‘can’ do anything you choose to do, and ‘can’t’ really isn’t an option.”

Dani’s target before she ran the race was to raise around £200 for charity but that total has shot up to £700.

She is still collecting donations at https://www.justgiving.com/daniellegrammer-taylor/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=tweetfeed&utm_campaign=mypages.